Explanation of advantages— Science Diplomacy

BioD Addon

And, Antarctica is a biodiversity hotspot

Griffith 2010, (Huw Griffiths created and manages SOMBASE, the Southern Ocean Molluscan Database. He represents BAS on the SCAR-MarBIN steering committee and is an active participant in the Census of Antarctic Marine Life. His interests include large-scale biogeographic and ecological patterns in space and time. His focus has been on molluscs, bryozoans and pycnogonids as model groups to investigate trends at high southern latitudes. He completed a PhD in Southern Ocean marine biogeography with the British Antarctic Survey and Open University, “Antarctic Marine Biodiversity – What Do We Know About the Distribution of Life in the Southern Ocean?”, [ http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0011683#s3 ] ,//hss-RJ)

Groups that are clearly underrepresented in existing databases include the species-rich nematodes, of which only ~700 records represent a taxon with more than 1,900 known species from the region. Important and abundant habitat-forming organisms, such as the sponges, are also largely missing from SCAR-MarBIN, limiting our ability to comment on the distribution of these diverse habitats and communities. It may be that several of these groups, for which we have limited or no data, have been adequately sampled but that these records have not been combined into a digital database. The state of knowledge and number of validated species vary widely among taxa (Table 1 and Table S1). Some phyla, such as mollusks and crustaceans, are historically well known and have a relatively large community of taxonomic experts. Others, such as nematodes and marine tardigrades, are known to be little studied and are probably vastly underrepresented. Since 1993, numbers of known marine species from the region have more than doubled from over 4,000 [7] to over 8,200, thanks to an international team of taxonomic editors working on the RAMS database. The Antarctic is known for having a high level of endemic species. Our understanding of how isolated the Antarctic really is has changed recently with our increased understanding of its relationship to the sub-Antarctic and the deep sea. Although previous estimates of over 80% endemic species for many benthic groups have been reduced by recent studies [27], rates of around 50% or more within a class are common (Bryozoa: Cyclostoma 47%, Cheilostoma 56%; Mollusca: Cephalopoda 54%, Bivalvia 43%, Gastropoda 74%, Pycnogona 55%, Ascidiacea 44%). These numbers may rise again in future as the use of molecular techniques identifies cryptic species in the region. The huge area covered by the Antarctic and the previous lack of good baseline knowledge have made it difficult to assess the true human impact on the region. As with other regions, most species in the Southern Ocean are rare, with over half of the known benthic species having only been found once or twice [22]. Because the status and numbers of the majority of marine species in the region are unknown, it is impossible to comment on how many of them are threatened or endangered. It is known that at least 4 species of cetacean and 18 species of birds found in the Southern Ocean are currently classified as threatened or endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List. There have been no recorded extinctions in the Antarctic since research began, but considering that many species are known from a single specimen or scientific cruise, our ability to comment is greatly restricted [22]. Recent efforts by CAML, IPY, and SCAR-MarBIN aim to produce a robust baseline of knowledge against which future change in the region can be measured. The distribution of known species richness tends to be a reflection of sampling effort (Figure 7) [22]. Regions with fewer than 100 species per 3° by 3° grid square tend to be either those with few sample points or those well sampled but only for the relatively species-poor plankton, birds, and mammals. The areas with the highest numbers of species are those in which the benthos are well sampled, such as areas around the South Shetland Islands. The regions with the longest history of scientific exploration and manned bases, such as the islands of the Scotia Sea, the West Antarctic Peninsula, the Eastern Weddell Sea, the Ross Sea, and Prydz Bay, show the highest levels of benthic sampling and the highest numbers of species.

Damaging hotspots risks global extinction.

C.I. ‘14

(Conservation International (CI) is a nonprofit environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. FWIW, it is right near the Georgetown camp and we may visit them. CI is one of the largest conservation organizations headquartered in the United States, though its field work is done in other countries. It has 900+ employees, more than 30 global offices, and more than 1,000 partners around the world. CI has evolved into an international organization with influence among governments, scientists, charitable foundations, and business – “Hotspots” – http://www.conservation.org/How/Pages/Hotspots.aspx)

To stem this crisis, we must protect the places where biodiversity lives. But species aren’t evenly distributed around the planet. Certain areas have large numbers of endemic species —​ those found nowhere else. Many of these are heavily threatened by habitat loss and other human activities. These areas are the biodiversity hotspots, 35 regions where success in conserving species can have an enormous impact in securing our global biodiversity. The forests and other remnant habitats in hotspots represent just 2.3% of Earth’s land surface. But you’d be hard-pressed to find another 2.3% of the planet that’s more important. What’s a Hotspot? To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot, a region must meet two strict criteria: It must have at least 1,500 vascular plants as endemics — which is to say, it must have a high percentage of plant life found nowhere else on the planet. A hotspot, in other words, is irreplaceable. It must have 30% or less of its original natural vegetation. In other words, it must be threatened. Around the world, 35 areas quality as hotspots. They represent just 2.3% of Earth’s land surface, but they support more than half of the world’s plant species as endemics — i.e., species found no place else — and nearly 43% of bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian species as endemics. Conservation International was a pioneer in defining and promoting the concept of hotspots. In 1989, just one year after scientist Norman Myers wrote the paper that introduced the hotspots concept, CI adopted the idea of protecting these incredible places as the guiding principle of our investments. For nearly two decades thereafter, hotspots were the blueprint for CI’s work. Today, CI’s mission has expanded beyond the protection of hotspots. We recognize that it is not enough to protect species and places; for humanity to survive and thrive, the protection of nature must be a fundamental part of every human society. Yet the hotspots remain important in CI’s work for two important reasons: Biodiversity underpins all life on Earth. Without species, there would be no air to breathe, no food to eat, no water to drink. There would be no human society at all. And as the places on Earth where the most biodiversity is under the most threat, hotspots are critical to human survival. The map of hotspots overlaps extraordinarily well with the map of the natural places that most benefit people. That’s because hotspots are among the richest and most important ecosystems in the world — and they are home to many vulnerable populations who are directly dependent on nature to survive. By one estimate, despite comprising 2.3% of Earth’s land surface, forests, wetlands and other ecosystems in hotspots account for 35% of the “ecosystem services” that vulnerable human populations depend on.